Pro-rape ‘pick-up artist’ organises Manchester event

Feminists have reacted with fury to ‘legal rape’ group Return of Kings, which is holding events across the UK this weekend as part of their ‘International Meetup Day’.

The meetings were organised by controversial American pick-up artist and rape advocate Roosh V, who is leader of a “neomasculinist” group.

Supporters of the group will meet at a variety of points including Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle, Cardiff, Shrewsbury and London on February 6th, joining other members before heading to a series of secret locations.

The UK events are part of a worldwide ‘tribal meeting’ taking in 43 countries throughout the world at 8pm local time.

Roosh states that meetings are restricted to only hetrosexual men and any women attempting to attend the event will be recorded and the footage will be sent to his worldwide “anti-feminist” network who will then “exact furious retribution.”

A petition set to stop Roosh “being allowed to promote his hateful violent views” in Scotland has received over 38,000 signatures.

Roosh and his followers believe rape should be legalised on private property and women are biologically determined to follow the orders of men.

On the website advertising the event, Roosh writes that it is time for his supporters to “come out of the shadows and not have to hide behind a computer screen for fear of retaliation”.

Roosh V, real name Daryush Valizadeh, is an American writer and pick-up artist who has gained worldwide notoriety through his misogynistic and pro-rape views. His series of books called Bang are advertised as a guide to sleeping with women.

He also runs a website which, according to a recent BBC report, has around one million users. On a post entitled ‘How to stop rape’ he suggested women claim they were raped because they feel “awkward, sad, or guilty after a sexual encounter they didn’t fully remember.”

Adding: “I thought about this problem and am sure I have the solution: make rape legal if done on private property.”

A petition to stop his books being sold on Amazon received over 63,000 signatures, while more than 42,000 Canadians signed a petition calling for him to be banned under the country’s hate speech laws. Last August he was chased from a bar in Montreal after having beer thrown in his face.

Ahead of Saturday’s event, Roosh wrote: “Up to now, the enemy has been able to exert their power by isolating us and attacking with shrieking mobs, but we’ll be able to neutralise that tactic by amassing in high numbers come February 6. I will exact furious retribution upon anyone who challenges you in public on that date (remember to record them). Therefore let the sixth of February be a clear signal to all that we’re not going anywhere. We have finally arrived.”

The overall aim of the meetings, is to set-up a “tribe”. Writing on his website Roosh explains: “I aim to help men create tribes in cities throughout the world that operate independently of each other. Each tribe will be maintained by a chief that runs it in a way he sees fit.”

In Manchester, the group manchester Feminists are already planning a counter protest against the event, setting up a page on Facebook.

The ‘meetup points’ have been published on the Return of Kings website, but the organisers have maintained a shroud of secrecy over the follow-up venues. In the International Meetup Day FAQ section of the website potential attendees are told: “There is no way to tell you beforehand what the final venue is, underage males may not be suitable for the meetup.”